The Effects of Litter Layer and Topsoil on Surface Runoff during Simulated Rainfall in Guizhou Province, China: A Plot Scale Case Study

Zhou, Qiuwen; Zhou, Xu; Luo, Yiqi; Cai, Ming

doi:10.3390/w10070915

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…In catchments in SW Germany, Ruiz-Villanueva et al (2012) showed that I 30 offered less explanatory power than I 60 for catchments > 10 km 2 , owing to their longer response time (greater smoothing of the hydrologic response). For the tropical Lutzito rainforest catchment (3.3 ha) in Panama, Zimmermann et al (2014) investigated the overland flow connectivity between hillslopes and the main channel. They stressed that short-term intensity measures such as I 5 -I 60 were important and also showed that the frequency with which the very short-lived intensity characterised by I 5 exceeds the soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (K sat ) has explanatory power, in the overland-flow-dominated runoff environment.…”

Section: What Evidence Points To the Significance Of Short-lived Intementioning

confidence: 99%

Rainfall intensity bursts and the erosion of soils: an analysis highlighting the need for high temporal resolution rainfall data for research under current and future climates

Dunkerley

2019

Earth Surf. Dynam.

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Abstract. Many land surface processes, including splash dislodgment and downslope transport of soil materials, are influenced strongly by short-lived peaks in rainfall intensity but are less well accounted for by longer-term average rates. Specifically, rainfall intensities reached over periods of 10–30 min appear to have more explanatory power than hourly or longer-period data. However, most analyses of rainfall, and particularly scenarios of possible future rainfall extremes under climate change, rely on hourly data. Using two Australian pluviograph records with 1 s resolution, one from an arid and one from a wet tropical climate, the nature of short-lived “intensity bursts” is analysed from the raw inter-tip times of the tipping bucket gauges. Hourly apparent rainfall intensities average just 1.43 mm h−1 at the wet tropical site and 2.12 mm h−1 at the arid site. At the wet tropical site, intensity bursts of extreme intensity occur frequently, those exceeding 30 mm h−1 occurring on average at intervals of <1 d and those of >60 mm h−1 occurring on average at intervals of <2 d. These bursts include falls of 13.2 mm in 4.4 min, the equivalent of 180 mm h−1, and 29 mm in 12.6 min, equivalent to 138 mm h−1. Intensity bursts at the arid site are much less frequent, those of 50–60 mm h−1 occurring at intervals of ∼1 month; moreover, the bursts have a much shorter duration. The aggregation of rainfall data to hourly level conceals the occurrence of many of these short-intensity bursts, which are potentially highly erosive. A short review examines some of the mechanisms through which intensity bursts affect infiltration, overland flow, and soil dislodgment. It is proposed that more attention to resolving these short-lived but important aspects of rainfall climatology is warranted, especially in light of possible changes in rainfall extremes under climate change.

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Section: What Evidence Points To the Significance Of Short-lived Intementioning

confidence: 99%

Rainfall intensity bursts and the erosion of soils: an analysis highlighting the need for high temporal resolution rainfall data for research under current and future climates

Dunkerley

2019

Earth Surf. Dynam.

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“…Small-scale plots both in laboratory and in natural watersheds can also successfully contribute to the understanding of major hydrological processes during extreme rainfall events [13,14]. In semiarid environments it is very challenging to collect runoff and soil loss data of a reasonable quality under natural conditions, as the number of rainfall runoff events is very limited; therefore, each event might have an important role in evaluating the impact of soil and water conservation alternatives [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance of Conservation Techniques for Semiarid Environments: Field Observations with Caatinga, Mulch, and Cactus Forage Palma

Lopes

Montenegro

Lima

2019

Water

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Understanding small-scale hydrologic processes and the impact of soil conservation techniques are crucial in reducing runoff and sediment losses in semi-arid regions. This study was conducted in the Alto Ipanema River Basin, in Pernambuco State (Brazil). Soil and water dynamics were intensely monitored in twelve experimental plots with different coverage conditions (plot with bare soil—Bare; plot with natural vegetation—Natur; plot with mulch—Mulch; plot with Cactus Palma—Palma). By far, bare soil conditions produced higher runoff and soil losses. Mulch cover was close to natural vegetation cover, but still presented higher runoff and sediment losses. Palma, which is a very popular spineless cactus for animal feed in the Brazilian semi-arid region, presented an intermediate hydrologic impact in controlling runoff, enhancing soil moisture, and also reducing soil losses. Experiments were conducted in one hydrologic year (2016/2017) at three different sites. They were intensely monitored and had the same number of plots. This enabled us to carry out a robust performance assessment of the two soil conservation practices adopted (Mulch and Palma), compared to natural vegetation cover and bare soil conditions. Such low-cost alternatives could be easily adopted by local farms in the region, and, hence, improve soil reclamation and regional resiliency in a water-scarce environment.

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“…This is pioneering Prediction in Ungauged Basin (PUB) study for Chinese islands, which could provide reference for planning and management of freshwater in a water shortage area. Zhou et al [21] conducted a plot scale study to investigate the effects of litter layer and topsoil on surface runoff during simulated rainfall. They investigated three kinds of plots: The thin litter layer with low soil bulk density type (T-L type), the thick litter layer with high soil bulk density type (T-H type), and the moderate litter depth and soil bulk density type (M type), and three artificial rainfall intensities (30 mm/h, 70 mm/h, 120 mm/h).…”

Section: Hydrological Model Simulations and Predictionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Variability and Climate Change Impacts on Land Surface, Hydrological Processes and Water Management

Zhang

Reggiani

2019

Water

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During the last several decades, Earth´s climate has undergone significant changes due to anthropogenic global warming, and feedbacks to the water cycle. Therefore, persistent efforts are required to understand the hydrological processes and to engage in efficient water management strategies under changing environmental conditions. The twenty-four contributions in this Special Issue have broadly addressed the issues across four major research areas: (1) Climate and land-use change impacts on hydrological processes, (2) hydrological trends and causality analysis faced in hydrology, (3) hydrological model simulations and predictions, and (4) reviews on water prices and climate extremes. The substantial number of international contributions to the Special Issue indicates that climate change impacts on water resources analysis attracts global attention. Here, we give an introductory summary of the research questions addressed by the papers and point the attention of readers toward how the presented studies help gaining scientific knowledge and support policy makers.

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The Effects of Litter Layer and Topsoil on Surface Runoff during Simulated Rainfall in Guizhou Province, China: A Plot Scale Case Study

Cited by 12 publications

References 33 publications

Rainfall intensity bursts and the erosion of soils: an analysis highlighting the need for high temporal resolution rainfall data for research under current and future climates

Rainfall intensity bursts and the erosion of soils: an analysis highlighting the need for high temporal resolution rainfall data for research under current and future climates

Performance of Conservation Techniques for Semiarid Environments: Field Observations with Caatinga, Mulch, and Cactus Forage Palma

Climate Variability and Climate Change Impacts on Land Surface, Hydrological Processes and Water Management

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